Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association

Founded in 1957, the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA) was established to exercise state supervision over Catholics in mainland China. Before 1949, the Catholic Church in China was under the control of foreign missionaries and the Vatican up through the revolution, with churches and related institutions resisting communist rule. Since then, the CCPA has been the only organizational body of Catholics in China officially recognized by the Chinese government. It consecrates bishops in China without the approval of the pope, but many are informally recognized by Rome. There remains no formal diplomatic relations between the Vatican and the Chinese government, but negotiations continue. The CCPA offices are located in Beijing.